


Voice Beneath the Sea

by alysurr



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/M, MERMAID LORE, Mutual Pining, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28500666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alysurr/pseuds/alysurr
Summary: Mermista pines after the cute boy who works at the docks, and she's not as sneaky as she thinks she is.(Formally the Siren’s Daughter)
Relationships: Mermista/Sea Hawk (She-Ra)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 29





	1. shadows

“Aye, Hawk, got a minute? Come over here.”

Sea Hawk finished winding rope onto a newly repaired winch, then casually jumped from the boat he was on to the deck below. 

“What--?” He began, but his friend Petey put a finger to his lips. He gestured to the small herd of stray cats that had gathered at the end of the dock, peering over the edge in curious fascination.

“Yer shadow’s back,” Petey smirked as Sea Hawk came up to his side. 

Sea Hawk laughed through his nose as he carefully approached the edge of the dock, making sure to avoid the looser boards that would creak under his boots. Maybe if he was lucky, he’d catch a glimpse of more than tail this time.

Salineas was famous for its crystal-clear waters and diverse ecosystem, so it wasn’t uncommon to see gorgeous sights in the water, even in the middle of the day when the docks were busy. Usually, workers and sailors were too busy with their jobs to pay much mind to the sea-life, but the cats were always around to alert them when something interesting was in the water. 

And mermaids, as rare as they were, they were always interesting.

“So she is,” he barely whispered, mesmerized by the way her scales caught and reflected the sunlight. She was resting on the ocean floor under the dock, and the only thing he could see was her long and beautiful blue-green tail, and the fins at the end that seemed to drip with gold. 

One of the cats yowled loudly as it rubbed against his calf, and another leaned forward, smacking the water with a paw in a futile effort to touch the glistening scales. The poor thing lost its balance, plunging into the water, and Sea Hawk quickly dropped to his belly on the dock so he could grab it. 

The commotion had the same result as any time he or Petey tried to get a better look at her--a flick of that tail and she was gone. Whoever she was, she was shy, keeping her distance from him and the other men who worked the ports, keeping her face hidden. He’d heard that merfolk were fast swimmers, but didn’t realize just _how_ fast they could be until he saw her pull her disappearing act the first time. 

This time, though, he caught a peek at deep blue waves of hair before she disappeared into the shadows under the ships. It was almost worth having his arm torn up by the cat that he’d fished out of the water as it scrambled up his arm to dry land with a hiss. 

“Oooof, sorry, mate,” Petey grimaced as Sea Hawk stood up, holding out a bloodied arm with a frown. “Come on, let’s get the first aid kit. Stupid cats.”

“He just didn’t know I was trying to help, besides, I got distracted. Wasn’t fast enough.” 

“Oh yeah? See any more of the siren?”

“Her hair is blue,” Sea Hawk announced, the scratches the last thing on his mind as Petey practically dragged him to the bait shack so he could bandage him up. 

“You know, she’s gotta have a thing for you,” Petey said, opening a tube of antiseptic cream with his teeth before handing it over so Sea Hawk could spread it over his wound. 

Sea Hawk rolled his eyes, shaking his head. “Yeah, okay.”

“I mean it! She doesn’t come around when you’re offshore. And you can tell she follows you because the cats do, too.”

“The cats follow me because I feed them,” Sea Hawk chuckled. 

“No, man, they like to watch her. And I think she likes to watch you. Here.” Petey wrapped a bandage around his arm as he held a piece of gauze over the gash. “Or maybe she thinks you’re one of them, you know, since you’re always singing. And you confuse her because you’re on land, and she isn’t.” 

“Sirens only live far, far off shore,” Sea Hawk laughed. “And mermaids don’t sing, not like that.” 

“Yeah, but they also don’t come close to ships, or this close to the shore, either. They’re smarter than that.”

“I just hope the poor gal doesn’t get caught in a fishing net while she’s up here,” Sea Hawk said. There were signs all around warning sailors and fisherman to set merfolk free if they are caught in a net, but he knew not everyone followed those rules. Merfolk tail could get you a lot of gold on the black market, but in Salineas it’s a death sentence to be caught with it. It was one of the reasons why the merfolk avoided the shores and the cities. 

“You know, they say the Salinean family’s all Merfolk who can transform their tails into legs. Maybe it’s one of them.” 

"That's all talk, Petey. They're not shapeshifters."


	2. detours

“Someone’s in a hurry,” Thalassa said, amused as she watched Mermista finish her breakfast in record time and decline seconds. 

“Just really excited to go see Seanna and Amira today,” Mermista replied. She’d gotten permission late last night to go visit her cousins in the underwater city of Azureth, which had been her go-to cover up destination as of late. If she left early enough, she might even end up there sometime this afternoon. Maybe.

“You’re going to Azureth!?” Merrick piped up, still chewing as he spoke and earning a glare from Mermista. “I want to go! Mom! Dad! Can I go? Please? I want to show Kai and Kelsey my new moves!” 

“Pleeeeeeeeaaaaase say no,” Mermista groaned. “I don’t want to babysit.” Merrick stuck his tongue out at her, and she mirrored his expression. 

“I think it’s a good idea! It would be good for you to spend time with your little brother. He can’t go to Azureth himself yet, and we haven’t been able to make the trip in a few weeks.” 

“Mom, please talk some sense into him!” 

“Merrick, honey, I thought we were doing training today?” Thalassa asked, flicking her wrist so that a small stream of water cleaned crumbs and smeared jelly off her youngest child’s face. 

“Mermista doesn’t have to do training anymore! Why should I be the one who has to do all the work?” 

“‘Cause I already did all of my training, barnacle brain,” Mermista said. 

“Hey, be nice to your brother,” Thalassa warned. 

“Sorry,” Mermista replied, kicking him under the table. “I just, we’re going to be busy and I don’t want to have to worry about him getting in our way.”

“Oh yeah? What will you girls be doing?” Mercia asked, taking a sip of his coffee and looking at her over his glasses. 

“Just girl stuff, dad,” Mermista alluded. “You know, reenacting Mer-mysteries, talking about school, maybe painting our nails… And look, I really need to!” She spread out her fingers on the tabletop, showing off her chipped indigo nail polish. “And Mallory is the best at this kind of stuff, but she needs quiet to focus, so…” 

“Alright, alright, get out of here, kiddo,” her dad chuckled, shaking his head and giving his wife a knowing look. 

“Thanks! Love you!” Mermista jumped up from her chair and rushed out of the room.

“Stay away from boats!” Her mother warned. 

“I know!” Mermista called back over her shoulder. 

“That girl is something else lately,” Thalassa laughed. “You sure there isn’t a spell you can cast on her to make her a little girl again? This teenager stuff is exhausting.” 

“If only,” Mercia sighed, then shuddered. “I’ve already had the Dukes of Corala and Clamton writing to me about their kids courting her now that she’s fifteen. The last thing I want to do is think of her dating.”

“Maybe we’ll get lucky and she’ll decide she doesn’t want a romantic partner, then we can keep her to ourselves.”

“Fat chance of that, if it’s not Mer-Mysteries, she’s reading those Summer of Love books. I’m half prepared to hear about the first one sneaking onto castle grounds any day now.” 

“Oh, and how do you know that’s how it’ll happen?”

“Because you were her twenty years ago, and I was the person getting thrown out of the castle by your dad and his guard.”

Merrick gasped. “Did you really get thrown out of the castle, dad!?”

“All the time!” Mercia laughed heartily. 

Mermista ran upstairs to her bedroom, quickly changing out of her regular clothes into her prettiest crop top and a long, flowy skirt. She contemplated over her jewelry for a few minutes before picking out a pair of sparkly gold hoops and a matching choker. 

She rolled her eyes at herself after a moment, because it wasn’t like he was going to see her anyways, but she still wanted to look good. Just in case. 

Running back downstairs, her mom caught her by the arm as she rushed by. “Wow, who are you dressing to impress, my love?” Her mom’s smile was warm and genuine, and she looked amused. It made Mermista’s face flush.

“N-no one! I just like this top!” Mermista protested. 

“Uh-huh, well, you look absolutely beautiful for whoever it is,” Thalassa said as she ruffled her daughter’s hair. 

“Mom! You’re gonna mess it up!” Mermista whined, trying to duck under her mom’s touch. 

“You’re just gonna go under water anyways,” Thalassa teased, but she smoothed down Mermista’s azure waves all the same, then planted a kiss on the top of her head. “Be safe, okay, sweetheart?”

“I always am,” Mermista said impatiently. “Can I go now?”

“Just be back before sunset! I love you.” 

“Yeah, yeah, love you too! And mom?”

“Yes, my starfish?”

“Thanks for saving me earlier.”

“Of course, honey, I know it’s good for you to have some girl time.” 

The sea was nice and refreshing, staying cool even in the late summer heat and humidity of Salineas. On land, Mermista’s hair would become wild and frizzy while her skin would get all sticky and sweaty. She didn’t have to worry about that under the water, where she traded her legs for a mermaid tail and her hair always looked amazing. 

She wondered why her ancestors ever decided to move onto land in the first place, when the sea was right there and so much better. 

There was an underwater tunnel and cave system that was a straight shot from Castle Salineas’ private bay to Azureth, but she swam right over it, just like she had been doing for an embarrassing amount of time now. She’d deny it if anyone asked, but she was just drawn to the docks in a way that was impossible to ignore. It was one of the reasons she couldn’t stand to bring Merrick with her -- he had a big mouth, and always ruined everything. 

Mermista hated the comparisons people always made between mermaids and their  _ very distant _ cousins, sirens, but the irony of her current situation wasn’t lost on her. She’d heard the stories about how sirens would use their hauntingly beautiful voices to lure sailors to crash their ships into the jagged rocks and boulders of the waters they inhabited. And here she was, being lured to the potential dangers of the shore by a human’s voice. 

She also knew how much it would disappoint her father, after hearing all of the horrible things that sailors and pirates and soldiers had done to their people throughout history. She’d always been told to avoid ships, especially fishing ships and their deadly nets, but the docks, too. 

“Criminals don’t care about laws, they’re just there so we can prosecute them when they’re broken,” her father explained. “So it’s best to avoid even risking it, little one.” 

Still, the cute human who worked at the docks was worth the risk, she thought, even though her dad would have an aneurism if he knew where she was going these days when she said she was heading to Azureth. 

It’s not like she was popping up to the surface and talking to him. Absolutely not, she’d never do that--she had way too much anxiety about actually meeting him. Lots of sailors and shiphands sang while they worked, and he was no exception. His voice was the loveliest she’d ever head, even lovelier than any of the merfolk she knew, and she’d listen to him talk and sing forever if she could. So she did. She’d tuck herself under a dock or in the shadows of a ship and listen to him sing, or talk to his friends. 

Mermista had learned an embarrassing number of things about him from the conversations she’d overheard: His name was Sea Hawk, and he was 16, two years older than she was. His best friends’ names were Bill and Petey. He fed the stray cats most mornings he worked, and he’d named most of them, too. He was always getting kicked out of bars and taverns locally for being underage, but it didn’t stop him from trying. His family was from Snows, but he lived in Salineas with his older sister. He was saving up for his own ship and wanted to travel all over Etheria with his friends. 

And he was single, for now. 


	3. poised

Petey had scored them a job helping out as shiphands on the Jewel of the Sea, the largest of the ships in the Salinian royal fleet. The royal family was going on some diplomatic mission in the Kingdom of Bright Moon for a week, the job paid well, and Sea Hawk had never been to Bright Moon before. 

“Sounds like an adventure! I’m in!” Sea Hawk grinned as he reached out to catch the bundles of rope Petey was tossing down from a supply ship they were helping unload. He carried them to the warehouse and jogged back for the next bundles. 

It had been a couple of weeks since they’d last seen the mermaid. 

“It’s ‘cause you threw a cat at her and scared her away,” Petey laughed when he mentioned it. 

“I didn’t throw him! He fell! I would never do that!” Sea Hawk protested. As he did, the cat in question meandered over to them and meowed at Sea Hawk’s feet before sitting down and looking at him expectantly. “Isn’t that right, lad?” Sea Hawk asked as he pulled a piece of waterfowl from his sandwich and dropped it in front of the cat. The cat meowed again before leaning down to eat. 

“Aye, I’m just pulling your leg,” Petey said, punching him in the arm. “Man, Johnny said that if we do good on this job, we might be able to get permanent positions working with the royal fleet! Wouldn’t that be a dream? Nice cushy castle job without being stuck inside all day!” Johnny was Petey’s older brother, and he was part of the port’s security detail at the castle. He was sweet on Sea Hawk’s older sister, but she didn’t seem to return the affection. 

“Wouldn’t it get boring though? It’s not like they go on trips that often,” Sea Hawk said, picking apart his sandwich and tossing pieces to other cats that were gathering around them. 

“Not on the big ship, but Johnny said that the King goes on shorter trips by himself all the time! And you know what else he said?” 

“Hmm?” One of the cats, a fluffy white and brown gal, had hopped into his lap and was licking his fingers for any remaining food while he stroked her with his other hand. 

“He said that the little ship is one of them Starchasers!” 

“Wait, really?” Sea Hawk had never seen a Starchaser before, though they were a bit of a legend. They were compact little ships that were made for speed and easy navigation. Their cabins often slept two, maybe four people, so oftentimes the people who owned them didn’t have a crew. It was impractical for most travelers to have such a small ship, but it was a dream of Sea Hawk’s to end up behind the wheel of one. 

Petey nodded, looking smug. 

“I wonder why we haven’t ever seen it in the harbor,” Sea Hawk asked. 

“Johnny said they leave late at night or early in the morning when they leave on it.” 

“Is Johnny on his crew?” 

Petey laughed. “He  _ wishes _ . Nah, he’s still doing security. So don’t get any ideas, pirate-boy, he’ll kick your ass back to Snowz if you do anything funny.”

“M-me!?” Sea Hawk stuttered, putting his hand to his chest in shock. The cat hopped down from his lap, looking irritated at the sudden disturbance. “Just because my father--! I have never!”

“So that time you burned down Grimes’ ship was just a fluke?”

Sea Hawk smacked a hand over his friend’s mouth. “Who told you about that!?” he hissed, making sure nobody around had heard him. 

Petey started laughing. “You just did! Now Bill owes me 5 sanddollars.” 

“That jackass! Where is he, anyways?”

Petey shrugged. “Who knows. I asked him if he wanted to do this job with us and he said no, and that’s the last I heard of ‘em.”

“Ay, boys! I don’t pay ya to sit around, sip tea and gossip! Get yer asses back to work!”

“Sorry, Cap!”

* * *

Mermista  _ really _ didn’t want to do this whole trip to Bright Moon. Stuck all day on a ship with Merrick, only to spend all half the week in meetings? Gross. She’d rather reread Mer-Mysteries: Coral Island again, and it is arguably the most boring book in the whole  _ series _ . She saw that plot twist a mile away, and it was oh so obvious who the murderer was. 

But once she turned fifteen it was like, her duty as the future ruler of Salineas, or whatever, to go to an Alliance meeting every quarter. And she’d skipped the last two, so her dad was literally dragging her to this one. Of course, there wasn't a single person in Salineas or Azureth who wanted to be stuck with Merrick all week, so he  _ had _ to come, too. 

Bright Moon always had good food though, and Queen Angella always let her borrow books from the library as long as she brought them back. Plus, Princess Glimmer always seemed to have cool stories about her adventures with her friend Bow. And Perfuma would be there, which was like, cool, she supposed. 

Their parents stopped to talk to the ship captain, and Mermista followed Merrick up the steps. She should probably tune in to what her parents were discussing, but this was all so  _ boring.  _ The last thing Mermista wanted to do was add another lesson to her shelf. Besides, the faster she got to her room the faster she could keep writing her secret book. 

Halfway up the ramp that ran from the dock to the ship, Mermista heard a somewhat familiar voice shout: “Hawk! Catch!” Her head snapped in that direction, and she watched as her dock boy leaned over the side of the ship to grab a rope that another worker threw him. It fell too short but he managed to grab it.

Distracted, Mermista’s foot caught the edge of the ship where it met the ramp and she tripped, grabbing on to Merrick’s shoulder to stop her from falling. They both yelped, Mermista’s face turning beet red as Merrick turned and yelled: “MOOOOOM! Mermista PUSHED me!”

“Shut up! No I didn’t! It was an accident!” Mermista hissed. “If I pushed you you’d be in the  _ water _ right now, you mollusk!”

“Give me a break you two! I said no fighting!” Thalassa shouted up at them, giving them both a face that said she was all business today. She then turned back to the captain, showing off all of the poise and professionalism that she did not pass on to her children. 

Merrick stuck his tongue out at Mermista and blew a raspberry. She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms under her chest. 

“Ugh, this is your fault!” Mermista groaned, hip checking him as she walked by. Not like, enough to knock him over or anything. Just enough so he knew she wasn’t afraid of being told on by him. 

“Ow!” Merrick said, rubbing his arm. 

“Oh shut up, I didn’t even hit you there,” Mermista said. 

“Tell that to your big fat butt!”

“Ugh! You little brat!” Mermista sputtered, really ready to throw him overboard now, but she realized they had an audience, and she was the princess and…

The dock boy was still there. Watching her act like a child. 


End file.
